Misplaced Pages

Philosopher

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Netoholic (talk | contribs) at 01:49, 6 June 2014 (change single image to The School of Athens). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Revision as of 01:49, 6 June 2014 by Netoholic (talk | contribs) (change single image to The School of Athens)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) See also: List of philosophers
File:School-of-athens-detail-from-right-hand-side-showing-diogenes-on-the-steps-and-euclid-1511.jpg
The School of Athens, a painting by Raphael depicting the central figures of Plato and Aristotle, as well as Socrates, Pythagoras, Euclid, Ptolemy, and many others.

In the broadest sense of the word, a philosopher is a someone who studies philosophy. The word "philosopher" comes from the Ancient Greek φιλόσοφος (philosophos), which literally means "lover of wisdom". The introduction of the terms "philosopher" and "philosophy" has been ascribed to the Greek thinker Pythagoras.

A philosopher may have extensive knowledge concerning one or more of the fields of aesthetics, ethics, epistemology, logic, metaphysics, social theory and political philosophy. They may relate this knowledge to the discussion of philosophical problems.

Modern academia

In the modern era, those attaining advanced degrees in philosophy often choose to stay in careers within the the educational system. According to a 1993 study by the National Research Council (as reported by the American Philosophical Association), 77.1% of the 7,900 holders of a Ph.D. in philosophy who responded were employed in educational institutions (academia). Non-academic philosophers can employ their skills in a great number of other careers, such as medicine, bioethics, business, publishing, free-lance writing, media, and law.

Women in Philosophy

See also: List of female philosophers

While the majority of philosophers are male, there have been some demographic changes since the 20th century. Some prominent female philosophers are Marilyn McCord Adams, Patricia Churchland, Ayn Rand, Elizabeth Anscombe, and Susan Haack.

Prizes in Philosophy

Prominent prizes in Philosophy include the Avicenna Prize, the Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy and the Rolf Schock Prizes.

References

  1. φιλόσοφος. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project
  2. APA Committee on Non-Academic Careers (June 1999). "A non-academic career?" (3rd ed.). American Philosophical Association. Retrieved May 24, 2014.

External links

Categories: